The north bank.

I thought I would have a look around the Mersey shore in the Speke area of Liverpool today. An industrial park has been built behind what used to be the old Liverpool airport in Speke. The site consists of the Mersey way costal path and shore, some rough grass, some cut grass, some waste land with some flooded pools, a few trees and bushes and parts of the concrete runways still exist.

6 wheatears, 10 white wagtails,4 meadow pipits were making use of the rough ground and runways. A pair of grey partridge were in the rough grass with linnets and goldfinch moving about. Reed buntings,blackbirds, song thrushes and wrens were on the coastal path.

On the shore a whimbrel was with 20 curlew and lots of redshank, oystercatchers, and ring plovers were with them. About 80 shellduck and a few teal and mallard also. A kestrel and a buzzard were up above. There seemed to be gulls prospecting for nest sites on the industrial warehouse roofs and a pair of adult lesser black backed gulls sat beside a flooded pool.As always with these public sites early morning is best before the dog walkers arrive.

I then moved on to Oglet Lane on the eastern side of the airport which is an area of farmland. In a horse paddock there were 4 fieldfare and a couple of mistle thrushes. 40 curlew fed in the fields and a couple of pair of grey partridge were noted.A flock of 30 linnets seemed to be following a curlew as it fed. I am not sure if they were associateing with the curlew for food or protection. A kestrel had just had a go at the flock a few minutes earlier.

At Hale marsh 2 wheatear, 5 white wags, 6 redshank, 2 little grebe and 4 buzzards finished off the day along the north Mersey coast.